Former tánaiste and minister for justice Michael McDowell has ruled himself out as a candidate for November’s presidential election.
Mr McDowell, a senator who played a leading role in the campaign against family and care referendums last year, has been mentioned as a possible independent candidate for several months.
He was said to have been mulling over a potential run to succeed Michael D Higgins after his two terms in Áras an Uachtaráin.
However, the former leader of the now-defunct Progressive Democrats has told The Irish Times he will not be seeking a nomination for the autumn election.
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“I’m not going to run,” said the 74-year-old, adding that the upper house is the place where he can most usefully serve.
He has been a senator since 2016 in the National University of Ireland constituency, having previously been a TD for 12 years.
If Mr McDowell had chosen to run for president, he would have comfortably received the necessary 20 nominations from TDs and senators, according to colleagues, as he has a wide base of support among independent members of both Houses.
Last year, Mr McDowell established a group of legal professionals, called Lawyers for No, to campaign against the constitutional referendums on family and care.
The referendums were defeated by large majorities despite having the backing of the big political parties.
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Former Fine Gael minister Heather Humphreys has also indicated she will not seek a nomination to run in the presidential election.
The Monaghan politician said she gave it serious thought after retiring from Dáil Éireann but ultimately decided against it.
Speaking on the Joe Finnegan Show on Shannonside Northern Sound, she said: “I said I wanted to spend more time with the family and my time in public life was over. I made that decision then and it is the same [now].”
Fianna Fáil TD Seán Ó Fearghaíl, the former ceann comhairle, has also ruled himself out.
“Not in a million years, not under any circumstances,” the Kildare South deputy said about a possible run for the Áras. “It’s not me. It’s not where I want to be.”
